Oreck to pay consumers $700,000 for unfounded health claims

May 22, 2012|Julie Deardorff | &nbsp

The claim: The Oreck Halo vacuum and the Oreck ProShield Plus air cleaner can reduce the risk of flu and other illnesses. An infomercial claimed, “The Oreck Halo has killed up to 99.9 percent of bacteria exposed to its light in one second or less,” and the vacuum’s light chamber “has been tested and shown to kill up to 99.9 percent of certain common germs, plus dangerous pathogens like E. Coli and MRSA.”

The reality: If you fell for this, you may be eligible for a refund, though it will be a fraction of what you originally spent. Oreck Corporation is expected to pay eligible consumers about $25 per product -- for a total of nearly $700,000 -- as part of a settlement with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) over false advertising claims. In addition, Oreck is barred from making future claims that its vacuum cleaner and air filters can prevent illness unless it has “competent and reliable scientific evidence” to support them, according to the FTC.

The Halo, which costs $600, is an upright vacuum cleaner with a light chamber that generates ultraviolet light onto the floor while vacuuming. The $400 ProShield Plus is a portable air cleaner that filters air particles using an electrostatic charge.

According to the FTC complaint, online ads in 2009 pictured the Halo and the ProShield Plus side by side under the headline “Introducing the Oreck Flu Fighters, Help Reduce the Flu on Virtually any Surface and in the Air in Your Home. ” The company also claimed that the Proshield Plus “captures and destroys many airborne viruses like the flu” though there’s no scientific evidence supporting the statement.

Other allegedly false and deceptive claims about the home cleaning products:

The Halo and the ProShield Plus prevent or substantially reduce the risk of flu.

The Halo and the ProShield Plus prevent or substantially reduce the risk of other illnesses or ailments caused by bacteria, viruses, molds, and allergens – such as the common cold, asthma, and allergy symptoms.

The Halo eliminates all or almost all common germs and allergens found on the floors in users’ homes, and is scientifically proven to do so.